Continuing Christmas spirit
Operation Christmas Child gives students opportunity to serve beyond December
Christmas is a year-round celebration for the Operation Christmas Child (OCC) club at Liberty University. There are many opportunities for students to get involved with the OCC club at Liberty and OCC
through Samaritan’s Purse.
Tent — OCC collected boxes at a tent set up in Liberty’s bookstore parking lot. Photo credit: Jessie Rogers
According to Ellen Ferguson, club president, the main goal for the OCC club on campus is to prepare for the corporate-led OCC blitz held each November. Last year the OCC blitz collected 1,815 shoeboxes at Liberty Nov. 9-13.
“The blitz was wildly successful because of student involvement,” Ferguson said. “(There’s) no way we could do it alone. All the volunteers helped us reach over 1,800 children and their families so that they may hear the gospel of Jesus Christ … quite possibly for the first time.”
Ferguson said OCC is unveiling a new membership program this semester that students can join.
“OCC is almost entirely run by volunteers,” Ferguson said. “Volunteers are people who want to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Through OCC, people have the opportunity to introduce orphans to their perfect, loving Father. The sick can meet the Great Physician, and those who feel nameless learn that they are known. That is why people become members and volunteer . … Year-round volunteers are needed.”
According to Ferguson, to become an official member, students must create one boy shoebox and one girl shoebox. Then members will be considered part of the OCC club board.
“We are building a board,” Ferguson said. “(This will cause) people to know about OCC — not just at Liberty but in general.”
There are four different boards members may choose to be a part of: volunteer relations, prayer team, media relations and campus involvement. Each board specializes in making the blitz become a reality. Members may choose which board they desire to be a part of, depending on their abilities.
“Each board will be a direct arm for planning the blitz,” Ferguson said. “With an opportunity as incredible as this, there is always something to be done.”
Ferguson said the club will be hosting a meeting March 1 at 6:30 p.m. to share their membership plan with the student body. The location of this meeting is to be announced.
Katherine Lash, club secretary, said students of all majors can also get involved with OCC through Samaritan’s Purse. Currently, Lash is volunteering with a new pilot program called Student Relations, which launched in January 2016. Lash’s primary responsibility is to bring awareness to high school and college students about the mission of OCC.
“Eventually we want to get into the various school systems so that kids in the area can get involved,” Lash said. “It’s about reaching the younger generations.”
Lash said students wanting to volunteer year-round can help at different OCC conferences throughout the year and volunteer at the processing center. The processing center is open in select cities from the end of November to the middle of December.
“Wherever your heart is, you can be involved somewhere,” Lash said. “(OCC) is a great way to be involved with people from all different kinds of walks … and you meet the coolest people.”
For more information visit samaritanspurse.org.
Frost is a news reporter.